Summer Colors
by LoveBlink182
Summary: Jhonen falls asleep one evening. Upon waking, he finds he's no longer in his room. Or his dimension, for that matter. Face to face he comes with the psychotic killer he created.
1. Default Chapter

AN: Let me know if this sucks. I...Don't really know what the hell I'm doing anymore... And it's becoming aggravating... Just...Tell me something please. Thanks.

The Management

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_**Summer Colors:**_

**ChApTeR oNe**: Sunset Resplendence:

"Late summer evenings, I painted a scene," He whispered to himself, dipping his paint brush into the mixed orangey-red paint, splashing more color onto the canvas, "Of the mountains afar, and color of screams," his eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on the horizon outside his window. It was beautiful. And his painting was coming out nicely.

He then realized he was singing.

"Oh..My.." he whispered to himself again, quirking one eyebrow, "Lets not make a habit of that, now, Jhonen." He put the brush and such down to give his arms a rest. His shoulders and elbows ached.

He walked across the room, staring out the window to the firey sky. It was sunset. He hadn't slept in days. Thank God. It'd been a good few days. But, as always, sleep would come soon. He could feel it. The same feeling he always got before he drifted off to sleep (but never without a fight).

"Music, maybe..." he said. Perhaps he could just beat it for the night, maybe blast himself awake with loud music. Repulsive music. Maybe head-banger music.

_I'll put it on in a minute. My arms are killing me_.

Or so he thought, then made the mistake of sitting on his seldom-used bed. He flopped back, watching the ceiling fan rotate.

"Oh no..." he said, realizing his body wouldn't allow him to get up.

It was that feeling. That strong feeling of his willpower slipping away. His body so desperately wanted to sleep, but he knew he'd wake up confused, everything in swirls like always upon the awful action of waking. God, he didn't want to sleep. He HATED sleep! With a _passion_! Waking was torture!

He wished furiously that one of his friends would burst into the room, and pick him up and whisk him away to a theme park full of adrenaline-drenched rides, and candy and coffee and sugar and caffine and assholes. Oh, what he wouldn't do right now for an idiot to poke fun at his hair right now, to stare blatantly and rudely at his blackened eyes (which, incidently, were the result of the current situation he constantly avoided), at anything! Just so he could get angry and wired enough to have to think and make the sophisticated, intellegent come-backs and insults to attack back with. Just to wake him up.

_No! No! I left my paints out! They'll dry up! I have to put them away, I have to cover my painting! Did I leave the oven on? Ahh, c'mon! Please! There's so much to do! I have absolutely no time to sleep! C'mon body! GET _**UP**

His mind screamed violently to whatever forces were at work here. But it was no use. His limbs and torso were holding him ransom for rest. And they would not be easily deterred.

_Fine. The next time you need something, we'll see if civil disobedience will get it for you. _

He then realized he was arguing with a natural bodily function and it would not work.

_Pull yourself together. This is ridiculous. Just _**force**_ yourself up._

He tried to tell himself this, and, upon believing it, strained to lift even and arm. As thin and frail as they were, he could not raise it up enough to see even his big, bony hand and long fingers at the end of the toothpick he called an arm.

_No use._

And the worst part of it was, he could _feel_ himself slipping into a slumber. It was like getting teeth slowly pulled without novicaine or sedatives. He could feel it happening, and could do nothing but fear its result. The confusion and aggravation would ensue after waking, he was sure.

"Ah, shit..." he muttered, helplessly, as the darkness consumed him and he went to sleep.

Unfortunately, sleeping was the least of his worries at the moment...

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AN: Sorry its so short, but I had to end it there before I gave too much away... Muwahahaha... Reveiw if you wish. Ideas are always welcomed with open arms and seriously considered. :-D 


	2. I've Been Changing

AN: Please, forgive the lack of exclaimation points in an area of the first chapter of this weird story, please. I tried to put them in...But, alas, I am not a computer genius, and so when I edited it and it didn't work the first two times, I just kind of figured it wouldn't after that so I gave up. My ambition and determination is inspiring, isn't it? Anyway, here's the next beautiful chapter of this terrible...Fic...If could even be called that I suppose. Um, I'm not quite sure where its going, ideas and suggestion's are always read, accepted and carefully and seriously considered, and flames will be magically teleported back to you in your sleep and you shall dream that you burned alive for 16 days and 16 nights! (I dunno where 16 came from. Just a random number. hehe.) I apologize for the length of time it took for this chapter to get up.

The Management

* * *

_**Summer Colors:**_

ChApTeR tWo: I've Been Changing:

Slowly, Jhonen opened his eyes to his surroundings.

God dammit. I hate this...He thought weakly, his glasses were missing, and it was difficult to see. And one thing bugged him about that; He hadn't taken them off.

"Ugh...Wonderful...Just perfect..." He said, rolling off of his back, and feeling around for them on his hands and knees. He either needed severely to clean his bed and room or change his sheets. They felt...Dusty, almost.

Squinting, he swished his hands around, feeling for them. Clouds of dust kicked up, and he fell back, supporting himself with one arm, coughing into the hand that belonged to the other arm.

"Where the hell am I, and where are my glasses?" he whispered to himself.

"Here. Don't worry. I didn't want you to roll over and break them or something so I simply took them off your face." a voice said, and he felt his glasses being thrown into his lap. He put them on, but they were filthy.

His eyebrows furrowed in worry. Where could he possibly be? To be in such dusty conditions, his glasses to be so caked with what seemed to be a mud mixture of dust and condensation. Condensation from what, he didn't really want to know. Clammy hand sweat, dampness...Nope. Not really something he wanted to think about, but he couldn't see with them the way they were, so he cleaned them off, and put them back on his face.

He looked up and around, and stood, dusting himself off.

"Oh...God. Where am I?" he asked, looking around the room, and then at the eerily familiar stranger in front of him.

"My name is Johnny C., but you can call me-"

"Nny." he finished for Nny.

Johnny gave him a strange look. "Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so, but I know you. Very well." Jhonen said, "I created you, Johnny."

Nny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You don't look big and fat and lazy..." he said.

"No, no. I created that God. I...Um...I made you. Him. Eff and Psycho-Doughboy. Squee. Devi. Senior Diablo. Even Pepito. I invented you. Anne Gwish. Tess and Dillon. You're a comic book character. Waaaiit..I know. This is all just a bad dream. Pishf. As if I've ever had a good one. But I know I'll just wake up and all of this will go away, and I'll never have been happier to wake up in my bed." He said, worrily.

All he could see was a cover to one of JTHM comics. Nny's headstone. It had said, "Here lies Johnny. Don't cry, he would've killed you too." What if...Nny killed him? What if he never left this dimension again? He knew no good could come from sleep!

"So would you care to elaborate a little on that? How exactly do you know about all of those people? And if you are telling the truth, why on Earth would you create Anne Gwish! And then put her in the same comic book with me! And Krik, Holy Jeez, we need to have a talk about creating people so ignorant that they'd kick me in the face with a major head-wound! Who does that!" he asked, waving his hands about dramatically.

"Well, Anne Gwish was meant to be a comic relief. I'm sorry if I offended you. And Krik was meant to represent the assholes of the world. And why do you believe me?" he asked, shocked.

"Because no one knows about my voices. Well, except Devi. I don't suppose you have any proof I'm a cartoon character, do you?" Johnny asked.

"Yes, actually, I do!" he said excitedly. He pulled out a doodle he'd done on the back of a reciept he'd gotten for a cup of coffee at a 7/11. It was of Johnny with a little pen and Noodle Boy next to him.

"...This is all very...Interesting." he said, "If you created me, then do you know what happened to me? To make me who I am?"

"No."

"WHAT! God DAMMIT! Not even my fucking CREATOR can tell me what my FUCKING ORIGINS ARE!" he screamed, picking up a block of dry, crumbling wood and throwing it at the stone wall. It puffed into a cloud of grayish-tan dust, and slowly settled. He wished he'd thrown something that made a louder noise than just 'Puuuuhhhhhhhh'.

"I created you out of the encounters I had had with assholes in my... uh... dimension, I'd suppose it'd be called. You're completely based on things that I can't say on a soap box without getting sniped. I made about you, who has taken a complete flying leap over the edge, to prevent from doing so myself. You're how I deal with a bad day. You haven't quite mastered the art of dealing with a bad day." he said.

"...So you put ME through pain, tears, blood, sweat, hate, confusion and other such things, because YOU had a bad day and can't deal with it? You're a fucking SADIST!" Johnny screamed.

"Whoa! Hold on! You were never meant to be real!" he said, "You're a comic book. This is just a bad dream." he said.

"BAD DREAM!" Nny screeched in disbelief hoarsly. He recomposed himself, "You know how in dreams you can't get hurt?"

Jhonen nodded, slowly. He was afraid of the answer.

"WATCH AND SEE IF THIS DOESN'T HURT!" Johnny screamed, picking up a small dagger with a reddish spiral handle, "You want a bad fucking dream! I'll SHOW you a bad goddamn fucking dream!" He leapt at Jhonen, trying to impale him in the chest. Jhonen moved to the side, and instead Nny knicked his arm. It tore his dark blue tee shirt, and put a good sized slice in his arm.

"Ow, hey!" he said, "Who are you to attack me? I made you!" he said, his eyebrows furrowing.

Johnny gripped the handle of the dagger so hard it began to abrade, "Every person I've killed...They all had it coming. They all did something to make me so messed up. All those kids who laughed at me when I was young. Everyone who laughs at me now. Every victim had something to do with the creation the killer. Of all of them, you're the worst. You made THEM too, you brought them on! You MADE my life a living, no I take that back, a DRAWN hell! You put me through all of that. Do you have ANY idea at ALL what I've been THROUGH!" he screamed.

"No, I'm inane. Of COURSE I know what you've been through! I wrote it that way! The only reason you even exist is because I had a bad day!"

"So...Because you had a bad day, I get to go through a lifetime of pain and suffering?"

I never really thought of it that way.

Of course you didn't think of it that way. When you made him he was just ink and paper. You never thought you'd meet him in real life. Well, whatever realm this is. This 2 dimensional world that you're living in. How wonderful.

But he does have a point. I passed on my beliefs and...uh...disorders, I guess, to him so that he could suffer along with me.

But, again, he's not a real person. He's of ink. Pen, ink, and white paper, constructed of that fun little world you live in. A blur of faces, snide comments by assholes, and he was the outlet for that. Your own, personal little soap box on which you stand and state your opinion.

Yes. This is true. But right now, I can't think about that. I have to think of him, and that will save my life. I hope.

What do you mean you 'hope'? You made him! You should KNOW what will save your life and what won't.

Jhonen looked around. He suddenly had an idea. He grabbed a knife that rested on pegs that stuck out of the wall. It was definitely bigger than Nny's, and had a little smiley-face at the butt of it.

"And just what do you intend to do with that? You know who I am. You know what I'm capable of." Johnny said, a smug smile appearing on his face. He loved a good fight.

"I know exactly what you're capable of. I created you. Use some of the common sense I gave you. Don't you think that if you're as warped and twisted as you are, I would be equally, or even more so than you?" he asked.

"...Valid point." he said, slowly lowering his weapon, as did Jhonen, "So how did you get here?" Johnny asked, surprisingly casually.

"I fell asleep on my bed. Utter exhaustion, I'd assume. And, as usual, it was terrifying. Even more so when I woke up in the basement of house 777." he said, smiling.

"I suppose that would give even the strongest man a surge of fear." Nny said, and escorted Jhonen up to the ground level.

Jhonen sat on the couch, wondering about his current situation. How could such a...what could this be called? Warp in dimensions? Well, he supposed so, for the time. How could it happen? And why to him? As if having to go to a hospital on his birthday that one year and having that tube in his chest and all that just...wonderful, glorious vivid pain wasn't bad enough. He had to be thrown into another dimension. B-E-A-utiful.

Bruce Almighty? Since when do I quote things like that?

I don't know. Back to track, though. Why you? What the hell did you ever do to deserve this?

I don't know. I try to do the exact opposite of abetting, I never thought of my self as pusillanimous, or inane, or anything of that genre of moron.

Well, Jhonen, this is quite a wonderful heartrending thing, for lack of a better word, that you're in right now. What do you plan to do? Hope that it's only a ephemeral time-span? Or wait until you go back to sleep? Maybe reverse the cycle, or whatever the hell it is you're caught in?

No, no. That would take too long, too much exertion. I just woke up. It'll be days before I sleep again. If it was the whole sleep process thing, it could be easily fixed, if I didn't hold such seething contempt for the act of slumber.

Tell me something I don't know. Right now we have to work on some way to make it all just go away. You could take a Johnny way out of this and go over the stars. Lord knows that he's got enough means in this house by which to do it.

Shut up. You're going to get me aggravated and then my mind will be fogged up and I'll be hebetated and all that great junk.

Hey, you decided aberrant was the way to go about life, don't snap at me. I'm trying to help you.

Are you trying to force me to abjure or something? And since when are we not one person? Have you forgotten you're part of me? Hmm?

Oh, can it, with your one-track censure. I don't wish to spend copious amounts of time with this lunatic.

I made this lunatic, ok, and I like him just fine. However, I don't ever recall having a pretty little conversation with you like this ever before so, if you'd be so kind, please tell me just exactly which part of my psyche you are.

I'm the voice of reason, here. It's no surprise to me that you don't remember who I am, I mean you were just a kid when you blocked me out. You've been under a sick delusion for quite a while.

Voice of reason?

Yes, pet, have you heard of me?

Don't get cute, kiddo. I was never under a 'sick delusion', I see things how they are. You distort them into what I'd like to believe. Because I choose to believe different things. Help me get out of here so I can block you out for another 20 something years.

Kiddo?

Yes. Kiddo. You're my little conscience, you're kiddo if I say so.

Ok, fine. I'm kiddo if you want me to be, pet, but um...We still have this one little problem.

What's that?

YOU'RE STILL IN A TWO DIMENSIONAL WORLD! Wake the hell up, Jhonen, and get your ass the hell out of here!

Alright, alright. No need to yell.

Jhonen grew nervous at his situation. As if he wasn't to start with, but there was only so much time before people began to notice his absence.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Johnnys voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Um, slightly. Wanna go to a Seven-Elev...A TwentyFour-Seven?" he asked, realizing he was to go to an invented place.

"Yes. Cherry?" Nny asked.

"Yeah. Of course." Jhonen replied.

"We're off then."

"Indeed."

And on they went to the 24/7 in town.

* * *

AN: Big thanks to all who review. Sorry it was so short. 

Ok. This is to the anonymous reviewer of the story True Happiness who went under the reveiwing name of "A REAL Nny Fan" or some other great bullshit name like that. Ok, first, men CAN be raped. As a matter of fact, accoording to a statistic from a study of which the name eludes me at the present moment, but I WILL look it up, almost half of all reported rape victims are male. So, that being said, men can be raped. Even by definition; Being forced to preform sexual acts against ones will. Second, if you must announce to the universe and all parallel to this one that you are a fan of something, even more, a true fan, you're, more often then not, trying to fit in with a certain crowd of people who also (and probably originally) enjoy this object, ideal, and/or belief thing. Third, who are you to speak for a one Mr. Jhonen Vasquez, as though you know him, as though you are in his mind? Unless you actually are him (which I seriously doubt because he seems to be much more well-spoken then you), I doubt that you know why he stopped creating comics, and I definitely doubt that you know for a fact that the True Happiness story would make him sick. Now, this, Summer Colors, is not so much on what he thinks as it is a prediction of his reaction if he ever met Johnny. I don't claim to know him personally or any of the like. Theres a difference between assuming and predicting. I do hold nothing but the most respect for such an intellegent person, and this is why I write these things. I play with what might happen, what if, what if, what if, and again, what if. And, no, Anonymous Chicken (a name I have so kindly dubbed you, because if you really wanted to make a point, you wouldn't have reveiwed anonymously), you could not ever possibly be a "real" JV/JtHM fan, because if you were, you would not just start barking orders like Hitler and try to tell people how to think, and that they're wrong for thinking agaisnt what you believe. (But...Then again...I suppose that is the whole point to the amendments. If there are such things. America. I roll my eyes. One is never truly free, if you ask me. But you didn't, so I'll get back on track before I start rambling. Again.) In saying that, the entire point of Johnny The Homocidal Maniac and all branches off of it went so far over your head that using a jetpack and a net wouldn't be useful in retreiving it for you. I shall not provide further acknowledgement and respect to you, most vile form of human life (aka; Asshole), by addressing the matter further.

Thanks,

The Management


	3. These Questions Never Go Away

AN: Argh. And double 'argh'. Ok...Forgive the lack of italization for Jhonen's thoughts in the last chapter. Again, I screwed it up. I think, though, this time it was entirely my fault. Also, I have been forced to remove **_True Happiness_** as a result of someone saying it was above and over an 'NC-17' rating, even though that rating system does not apply anymore, I still cannot take a chance in risking my account to be deleted. I shall try to find a place for it to go. Until then, I ask that you be patient and wait. Thank you for your understanding. And a big thanks to all who review. Its completely appreciated, and it gave me incentive to keep going. Kudos in getting me motivated again.

Thanks,

The Management

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_**Summer Colors:**_

**ChApTeR tHrEe: These Questions Never Go Away:**

Jhonen and Johnny walked down a sidewalk to the 24/7.

"Its quite a walk. Why didn't we drive?" Jhonen asked.

"I like to walk at night. The air is cool, its still early, as matter of fact, but its a clear night and the stars are out. And besides, everyone drives. Its not as fun as walking." Nny stated.

"Oh. Driving seemed less exerting." he said, adjusting his glasses. He could still make out traces of mud-like substance on them. His arm still stung. But other than that, it wasn't so bad. Johnny seemed like a nicer guy than Jhonen portrayed him as.

_Until he freaks out and tries to kill you. Again._

_Hush. I don't think he'll do that. Do you?_

_...Did I not just say that?_

_My God, you are the sarcastic little one, aren't you?_

_Condesending? That's not usually your style, Jhonen. What're you thinking about?_

_If you're me, aren't you supposed to know what I'm thinking?_

_I thought that would shut you up. Even if its only for a moment, its worth it. I hope you know I find you annoying._

Things were going alright. Until a guy bumped into Nny's arm so hard, it was like he was trying to take it with him.

"Hey, ass-chomp, watch where the fuck you're going." he snarled.

The man had a pinkish red mohawk, and an obscene amount of peircings in his face. It looked as though there was no room for anymore.

_I wonder how he gets through airport security._

_...They probably don't even check, knowing it would take hours._

"Ass-chomp?" Nny questioned, with that look on his face.

Jhonen knew what was coming. He raised his eyebrows, nervously adjusting his glasses again, and scratched his forehead, looking down, "Johnny, no, he's not worth it. Lets just go." he reasoned.

"Aww, how cute. Your sexy boyfriend is trying to bail your ass out of a fight you know you can't fucking win. Hey, who's the man in your relationship, fag?" the man asked.

Johnny looked like he was going to pounce on the guy. "Nny, relax. Just turn a blind eye and keep going."

Nny glanced at him over his shoulder like he was crazy.

_Are you just going to let him kill this guy and ruin your spotless record of never killing anyone?_

_I was planning on it. I don't want to, but hey, why not? In calling Nny gay he called me gay, too. Thats...a double-whammie or something. Guilty by association. Because I'm traveling with him, I'm subject to the abuse, too._

_Well, what do you normally do when **you're** subject to snide remarks by people?_

_I usually would pummel them with a series of sophisticated insults. Heh._

_...So you're just going to let Nny tear this guy apart..._

_Yep. Thought so._

_...DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YA THERE BUDDY BOY!_

_Oh. Alright, alright. I'll intervene. Jeez...Pushy pushy..._

Jhonen stopped Johnny before he could do anything drastic. He guided him behind his back, and assumed an intellectual stance.

"What is your name, sir?" he asked, eyeing him over the rim of his glasses.

"Billy," he said, "Why? You fuckin' comin' on to me, fag? Hey, you fuckin' homo, I think your man is trying friggin' to cheat on you!" he said, receiving a howl of laughter from the small posse that shadowed him.

"No, no. I find no part of you or your semblence even remotely attractive. But you seem to be quite enthralled in me." he said.

"What the hell did you just say?" he asked, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Ah, profanity. The crutch of the intellectually deviant." he smirked. Nny watched, almost in awe.

"Dude," one of his friends said, "I think he just called you gay."

"WHAT! You're funny, you fuckin' fag! You WISH."

"Well it was _you_ who called me sexy, wasn't it? And again, _you_ who mistook my request for your name as a come-on." he said, "And still, _you_, thinking I might be homosexual, gave me your name."

"Man, I think he's right..." another friend said, moving slightly away from Billy.

"Hey, I ain't like that! I fuck bitches every night!" he spat, "And I love porn!"

"Oh. Manly. Well that right there gives us some indication of your level of homosexuality." Jhonen continued.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Well, when you watch your beloved pornography, do you prefer the male to have a small, half-flacid penis?" he asked.

"No, of course not! What kinda porn is that! I love a big, hard, throbbing... penis... HEY! You fuckin' tricked me!" he screamed, throwing a swing at Jhonen, who moved back slightly. The rush of air blew his hair a little.

"You even swing like a queer." the friend said again, "C'mon guys, lets get out of here." he said, and they left Billy.

"Now look what the hell you did!" he yelled, and Jhonen and Johnny were forgotten, and he took off after his companions, trying to gain their alleged 'friendship' back.

"That was incredible." Johnny said.

"Thanks. Y'know, he's a sad, sad guy. Taking off after friends who judge you by your sexual preference rather than your personality." he said, watching with disappointed eyes as the man fled.

"Indeed." Johnny said, "That seemed to cause more pain than actually killing people."

"I know. I still haven't killed anyone. Education is a great defense mechanism." he said, smiling a genuine smile. He loved the English language.

"Lets get some cherry Brain-Freezy's." Nny said, his goal still in his mind.

"Hey, what time is it?" he asked.

"Uhh...I have no watch." Nny replied, "What does it matter anyway?"

"If they turn the machines off at 2a.m...Would we not want to be time-conscious?"

"Oh, yeah. We could ask someone." Johnny suggested.

"Um, I think _I'll_ do it..." he said, not wanting to risk another scene.

He approached a thin girl. She looked nice enough.

"Um, excuse me, miss, you wouldn't happen to have the time, would you?" he asked.

She turned around. She had a set of the most entrancing eyes he'd ever seen. Big, and bright. Brown. And brown hair to match.

"Um, yes..." she said, looking at a little blue digital watch that was strapped around her wrist, "Its 9:30pm." she said.

"Thank you." he said, and gave a kind smile.

"Whew." she sighed, and seemed to ease.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you were another creep trying a cheap pick up line." she said.

He laughed, smiling, "No, no."

"Well, you're very polite. For that, I thank you." she smiled a beautiful smile.

"No problem." he said, and walked back to Johnny's side.

"That looked like more than asking for time." he said, his eyes narrowing, suspiciously.

"Just a small discussion. Nothing more." he said, still thinking about her eyes.

"Sure. I had that same look with Devi." he said.

"...No. Nothing of the sort. Its not like I could even be interested in her if I wanted to, anyway. She's not real. A 2 dimensional character. Meant to be just another blurry face. Part of a crowd of passionless people." he said, looking down.

"...And you only make it blatantly obvious that you don't want that." Nny said, smirking.

Jhonen looked into the stars.

_Over the stars, you mean. If you like that girl, you should see if you can get in her pants before you get out of here._

_...Why would I do that? That is not only disrespectful, but degrading._

_What? The desire to fuck?_

_The desire to 'fuck' just comes with seeing someone attractive._

_And you thought she was attractive._

_So? That means I have to act like one of the sex-crazed monkey people?_

_Or like a man._

_Ugh, you remind me of that asshole Billy or whoever he was. 'Fucking bitches' doesn't make a man manly. It takes more manhood to respect women than it does to degrade them._

_Have you considered joining Womens Rights groups and getting french manicures?_

_Women deserve rights, asshole. They make BABIES. Future generations._

_I thought you hated people._

_I don't hate people. I find few worth giving that level of attention to._

_...God, I hate your way of thinking._

_What? Sensibly?_

_...Shut up._

_Gotcha there, didn't I?_

_Not for long. I can still pry into your thoughts on that girl. You didn't even have the courage to ask what her name was._

_That would be rude. If I see her again I might smile. Get off my back about it. How many random strangers would you ask the name of?_

_You initiated contact with her. You could've asked her name and gotten away with it._

_Again, why would I want to know her name if I'm just leaving anyway? Whats the point in a connection I can't build on?_

_Ah. You want a connection. Is that why lovers and couples make you sick? You haven't found your connection yet. Well, if you want to find true love-_

_I'm not looking for true love._

_-Don't interrupt me. Fine. If you're looking for your 'connection', you could get one with that girl, even if you're just leaving her anyway, you could still think back and remember her, and know not everyone is an asshole._

_I know not **everyone** is an asshole. I just don't meet much more than social maggots._

_And now you finally met someone, and you're not even willing to try to develop one of these connections you speak of?_

_What's the point if I'm just going to leave her!_

_You can REMEMBER her when you get back!_

_Again, you fail to see she is only a comic book character._

_So? Find her. Have a connection while you can._

_But what if it's like some creepy time warp thing, and I end up forgetting everything that ever happened when I get back to my dimension?_

_So then, just take more joy in what you'll have. If you don't have memories of what happened, you still had a connection, and maybe you'll even feel happier._

_But I'll just have to leave her. What's the point if I can't even REMEMBER it, and especially if I couldn't stay with her?_

_Ah! You're NOT GETTING IT!_

_...Sometimes I'd rather not._

They approached the doorway of the 24/7, and got their drinks, paid the man and left. He looked like the clerk in the 'Meanwhile' that starred him, the one where the clerk was actually Satan. Jhonen smirked at the thought.

They left the store. Johnny went in a different direction. He crossed the street, Jhonen following him, wondering where they could be going.

As if he read his mind, Nny spoke, "We're gonna go to the park. I wanna watch the stars. I would go to the cliff, but I didn't bring the car, and I'd lose the moment if we went back to get it."

"Oh. Ok." he said, and they marched onward towards the park. Somehow, 'I toldjaso' didn't seem like a great thing to say.

He knew not many people would be there around this hour. Except maybe horny teenagers wanting to try and re-enact romance movies they've seen on TV and make out under the stars in an effort to fake something meaningful. But, like you eat around the bruise on an apple, they could just walk around the idiocy of humanity.

Jhonen looked around, slurping his Brain-Freezy, and something caught his eye. A group of shadowy people under a weeping-willow, giggling. Probably a bunch of pre-pubesent girls having a slumber party or something.

"Baboons." he muttered under his breath. They were a good 50 or 60 feet away.

"Who?" Nny asked. Jhonen had almost forgotten he'd been walking with him.

"Nothing. Human worm babies. Catching fireflies or something of the like." he said.

"Why would you say that?" Johnny asked.

"What do you mean?" Jhonen inquired. He couldn't understand what would inspire Nny to respond to that with a question.

"Isn't that the girl you were talking to before? The Time-Girl?" he asked, looking at her.

Jhonen squinted. Damn his vision. In the dark, he couldn't make out her image. He'd recognize her in a heartbeat though.

_Speaking of heartbeat, did you notice yours increased when Johnny mentioned her?_

_What do you mean?_

_I mean, when you realized who Nny was talking about, your heart skipped a beat, and sped up._

_So?_

_Heeeeeeugh...Do you read any romance ANYTHING! Classic sign of love-_

_I'm not in love. You're insane._

_No, he's insane. Oooh, I think I hit a nerve. Love is something you don't even want to SAY, much less to be in._

_Who are you to claim to know my censure on love or anything like that?_

_I'm part of you. Lets not get off topic, though. So, and I'll put it in your terms, a classic sign of 'connection' is increase in heartrate. Read any romance novel._

_Just because a novel said so doesn't mean-_

_The novels are written by people who've been in love. Or in 'connection', as you say._

_You can't be in a connection, idiot. You HAVE connections._

_Ugh. So technical._

_Well, when you screw up, I will ALWAYS be right there to point it out until you go away again._

_Well, thats a lovely thought, but I'm afraid you're stuck with me. And if I could give you a cutesy smile, I would. And it still doesn't change the fact that you want to bone that girl!_

_WOULD YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!_

_...Ooo...Love and connections really ARE the touchy subject with you. You really need to get that under control. I think I know why though. You never really had any of your own with anyone, and you want to, and you find them difficult, and complex._

_Shut up. Everything's complex._

_With you, anyway._

_When I do find a connection, or 'love', as you say, I want it to be real. Something real. I want just something real. Someone with which to drive down a winding road and to look up at whatever's above us. Be they stars, moon, or purple horseshoes._

_Alright. Thats good. The first step's always admitting it._

_Ugh...You're frustrating._

_You think I'M frustrating! Have you ever tried reasoning with you before!_

"Nny, I can't see her. Its too dark, they're in the cast-shadow of the the tree."

"C'mon," Johnny said, grabbing Jhonen's arm, and tugging him to their destination.

"Where're we going?" he asked.

"To the other side of the tree. I have a weird feeling about this. I can see her, even if you can't, but I can't tell who the other people are."

"What do you mean a 'weird' feeling?"

"I mean something strange is going on over there." he said, his eyebrows furrowing.

Why was he doing this? Why did he CARE? It wasn't him that had a 'thing' for that girl. Did Jhonen even have a 'thing' for that girl? Sure he did. That look was undeniable. He was interested. The problem was he just wouldn't admitt it. And her being a stranger and all probably didn't do much for his nerve. At least he knew Devi. He knew her name, her place of work and visited her everyday. And liked her a lot.

They got behind the tree. What Nny saw horrified him. That girl was being...There weren't words. Violated in one of the worst ways, maybe?

"What?" Jhonen asked, concerned, and Johnny realized he had gasped.

"Uh...Maybe I was wrong. I don't think its her...?" he said, hoping Jhonen would bite. He knew it was her.

"Liar." Jhonen muttered, and peeked over Nny's shoulder. He emitted a gasp as well.

"What the hell are they doing to her? Who are they?" he asked, verging sounding angry.

"By the incessent, bubbly, giggly, evil laughter, I'd say they're cheer-leaders." Nny said.

"What are they doing, though!" he asked.

"It looks like they're...Well...I want to say 'hazing', but I'm not quite sure she wanted to join the squad." he whispered with worry in his voice.

Her face was smeared with tomato red lipstick, magic-marker blacked out around her eyes, her beautiful brown hair was in frizzy, sloppy, lop-sided pig tails, and she was half clothed. They listened.

"Aw, c'mon," a girl who looked like a test-tube baby giggled, "Why not?"

"BECAUSE I don't want to be a cheerleader!" the girl said, trying with no avail to stay as calm as she could. She tried to run, but one of them pulled on her pantleg, which was the only article of outer-wear she had left, and was stuggling to keep her black bra on. She finally screamed.

"Just leave me alone!" she yelled.

_Now might be a good time to jump in._

_Gee, ya think!_

Jhonen leapt over Nny, who gave him a strange look.

"Hey." he said.

_Because _that_ sounded threatening._

_Shut up. I'm trying. I didn't have to do anything._

_But you did._

_What? Now isn't the time to get into this._

_Sure it is. You would've done something before, but Johnny was in the way. And you would've gotten torn apart._

_By cheerleaders? Please, give me SOME credit._

_No, I don't mean they'd beat you up. I mean they probably find you good boyfriend material._

_...Ew. Why?_

_C'mon...Tall, dark, mysterious. AND an artist? What girl doesn't want you?_

_...I'm not that tall. And actually, I didn't think I was that dark either. I don't really have that much of a tan. And as for being mysterious and artistic, I'm not mysterious, and my art would disturb anyone with a shred of morality. Hell-O! Johnny the Homocidal Maniac?_

_...Ugh. Fine. Go out there. Get pummeled by fan-girls._

_God, do you ever shut up?_

They looked at him.

"Uh, Jhonen?" Nny's voice sounded behind him.

"Yeah?" he asked, staring at them.

"I count eight, not including Time-Girl."

"You've kindly dubbed her Time-Girl. How nice. Eight? Oh. Beautiful."

"Once again, you forget who you travel with." Johnny said, smiling.

Then it clicked. Jhonen wouldn't have to really do much. Johnny would take care of it. And he could get Time-Girl out of there.

"C'mon." he said, picking her up, and sheilding her eyes as Johnny tore them apart with the knife he kept in his boot.

She heard screams and assumed the worst. He took her back around behind the willow tree.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"...Who are you?" she asked, blackish gray swirly tears streaked her face.

"I'm Jhonen Vasquez." he said, "Who might you be?" he asked, trying as hard as he could to seem as kind as he could.

"My name is Kaz." she said.

_KAZ! Thats like three letters away from GAZ! WHAT THE HELL! Is my art trying to come back to haunt me!_

_Ok, ok. Relax. Just calm down. Breathe deeply, you know, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Kaz. So what? Maybe it's a coincidence. It's still a cool name. And somehow, very fitting of her features._

_Alright...I'll breathe._

_Its not like you to be shocked so easily._

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, for the most part. I want my shirt back." she said, and moved to get up and get it, but Jhonen knew what was going on just around the other side of the trunk of the tree she sat against, and sat her back down.

"I'll get it for you. Don't worry about it." he said.

"...Ok.." she said, hesitantly. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and hummed a song.

He came back, and handed her a dark blue shirt with what looked like gold Korean symbols painted on it.

"Thank you." she said, dusting it off and pulling it on.

"No problem."

"So what are you? A hero?" she asked.

"...Maybe. I did save the Pope from being abducted by aliens once." he said, supressing a smirk.

She smiled, "Oh, I see. Well, Mr. Jhonen, you're very impressive."

"Thank you, Ms. Kaz." he said, taking a mini-bow, and standing. He held out his hand to help her up.

"Johnny, can we go?" he asked, picking his Brain-Freezy up off a patch of grass.

"Yeah, I'm done here." he said, and shook drops of blood off of his hands, and sipped his Brain-Freezy.

"You never put that thing down?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? My drink? No, never. Why would I?" he asked.

Kaz laughed, and Jhonen rolled his eyes and they left, making sure Kaz was guided so far around that she couldn't see the gore left under the tree.

"So are you guys walking me home or what?" She asked, as they walked along a brick-laden path that stretched across the park.

"I don't know. Where do you wanna go?" Jhonen asked her.

"Well, I'd like to spend more time with you," she said, smirking and looking away, "But if I'm annoying you, then I'll go home."

"Oh, no, I don't mind if you stay with us. I rather enjoy your company."

_So he finally admitts it._

_Knock it off._

_...Mhm...Whatever..._

_I'm not going to get into this with you now._

"Ok, then I guess I'll stay with you." she said, smiling.

"Um..." he said, pressing his lips together, "You're hair is quite attractive..." he said, trying his best to hold in a laugh.

She realized her hair was still in revolting looking pigtails, and removed them, raking her fingers through it to smooth it out. It worked pretty well.

"Is all that crap they smeared on my face still there?" she asked.

"Yes. Did you think it would just disappear?" he asked, smiling.

_Cute. Joanie loves Chachi._ Johnny thought, looking around. Well, he supposed if he was a carbon copy of Jhonen, then Jhonen could find love here, like he did. Again, nice people are mixed in with social maggots. But what if he wasn't a carbon copy of Jhonen?

Thinking of it, Jhonen had said something about never having killed anyone. The whole "Bad Day" thing. Johnny, in essence, hadn't the 'art of dealing with a bad day' quite mastered yet. So, really, Johnny was Jhonen's way of dealing with a bad day, his own mastry of it.

He understood now.

He glanced at Jhonen. He and Kaz were quietly talking. Smiling and such. He used a tissue that was in his back pocket to wipe off her blacked out eyes, and the gloms of lipstick the vile creatures, aka: Cheerleaders, put on her face. He listened to them smile, and whisper and talk about stupid little things.

"So what's with you?" she asked Nny, looking at him.

He watched her out of the corner of his narrowed eyes, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're so quiet." she said, "I don't think I even know your name."

"You would, if you paid any attention to details. You should. To not do so is irresponsible, and will get you killed one day."

She raised an eyebrow, "I know that it's Johnny. I just figured a formal introduction would be more...Acceptable?" she said, supressing a smirk.

Johnny quieted. So she did know what she was doing, "Fine, Ms. Kaz. My name is Johnny C. But you can call me Nny." he said.

"Hello, then, Nny." she smiled, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." he said, and they shook hands.

"Nny, may I speak to you privately?" Jhonen asked.

"Yeah, sure." he said.

"Stay right there." Jhonen smiled at Kaz.

"Because I was gonna go somewhere." she said, sarcastically.

They walked a few feet away, out of earshot.

"What do you think about taking her home with us?" Jhonen asked Nny.

Johnny shot daggers at him, "No."

"Why? I don't want to lose her."

_And the truth comes out._

_Shut up. I didn't mean it that way. I mean what if we never see each other again?_

_Did we not have a discussion about MEMORIES. I cannot stress that factor enough._

Jhonen sighed, and knew he'd hear it from his little conscience guy later. But for now, he'd just try to convince Johnny.

"C'mon." Jhonen said.

Nny looked disgusted, "You sound like a whiney baby." he said, "God, fine. But let me find out she went, like, exploring my house and there'll be hell to pay."

"THANKS!" Jhonen said, smiling, "Now I just have to find out if she wants to come."

"If you're gonna screw her or something, I have no condoms or any paraphanilia of the carnal variety, so-"

"WHAT? Why would I do that! I want to be friends."

"What KIND of friends?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't be a hole, ok." he said, glaring at Nny over the rim of his glasses.

They walked back to her and she agreed to go.

"It'd be ashame if we lost contact." she said.

"Indeed." he said, and they continued talking and whatnot.

* * *

AN: Yuck yuck yuck. I don't like how this one ended but I couldn't think of anything better. Let me know what you think about this idea for the next chapter: Zim, Gaz, and Dib appear for a few minutes at Johnny's house when they get back. I got the idea from a review...And I, very much, liked it, and want to use it. :-D Hit me back just to chat truly yours your biggest fan this is stan...I must refrain from listening to eminem...but its so addictive...God, I need help. I can just see the day when I walk around with a big 300 lb. chain around my neck and cornrows. Scary thought. Fo' sho'. Not. 


	4. Pins And Needles

AN: Ok. Yes. I like Ron White. Hee. I realize that Johnny is slipping out of character, despite my white-knuckled hold on him. I don't mean for it to happen. And I won't allow Jhonen to fall in love. It is not a love story, it is not a romance novel. It is a story about the creator of a comic meeting his character. As far as Nny being slightly out of character, I try not to do that. I try to keep him in character to the best of my abilities. However, I do not plan these stories out. I just kind of get on here and wing it, so to speak. So I don't really see it until I read it over again, and by that time theres nothing, really, that I can do about it. The plot had been set. I thought it looked weird...But I was hoping no one else would pick up on it...Hehe..So if you would be so kind, loyal readers, please do me a favor and point out exactly what it is that is making him out of character. Please! All your advice and encouragement has been greatly appreciated. Oh, and by the way, I think I forgo this in the other chapters - I don't own JtHM, Invader Zim, or Jhonen himself. Lets all hope Jhonens not someones man-slave. That would not only suck, but be an incredibly weird fetish in itself.

Thanks,

-The Management

_**Summer Colors:**_

**ChApTeR fOuR: Pins And Needles:**

Jhonen sat on the couch of Nny's house, watching television. Kaz had fallen asleep.

_Jhonen._

_What?_

_Jhonen, look at yourself._

_What do you want?_

_You're cuddled on the couch with a girl._

_And?_

_Are you in love with her?_

_I told you. I'm not looking for "love". I'm looking for a connection with someone who sticks out in the ocean of color-whisps that are the faces of the people I meet._

_Hm. Sure._

_What? What are you implying?_

_Only that she could be a little more than a 'connection', Jhonen. You're being an asshole if you don't poke her._

He huffed._ Stop suggesting that because I'm not going to. I'm going to take her back to her residence tomorrow morning. I just wanted to talk to her._

_So you DID like her?_

_...You're being an asshole now._

_What! How am **I** the one being an asshole! You're not making sense. Ok, your exact words before, Mr. Intellegence, were 'I don't like her. She's just another face in a blurry sea.' And then you rescued her from those purely venomous creatures, those vile little cheerleaders, and then at your own complete and total discretion, decided to ask JOHNNY, of all people, if you could take her back to his house - A house YOU created, that you should have TOTAL and COMPLETE control over the happenings in it, mind you - and now you're sitting on a couch, with this 'Kaz' curled around your arm!_

_She's curled around my arm? When did that happen?_ He looked down. Sure enough, the small-framed girl was wrapped around his arm.

_See...Are you going to start believing me?_

_No. Not a chance in hell. I only saved her from the park because it was conveinent and she didn't bubble over in the quaint little trait of idiocy when I spoke to her._

_For a grand total of 10 seconds._

_It was more than ten seconds when I asked her for the time!_

_Ok. A minute._

_I have a pretty good judge of character, thank you._

_You're sweet naivety will be your downfall someday, but for the time being it's quite amusing._

_What the hell is wrong with you?_

_What's wrong with ME! What the hell is wrong with _**YOU?**_ You're the one who can't stand to be around people, can't take a complicated relationship with anyone, and just wants to draw little man-child style pictures in a book, and sell your little soap-box thoughts on whatever comes to mind._

_I think it's just fine. It's allegedly a free country. I think one of our amendments lied to us and told us our government will let us write and say whatever we want._

_Now you're a 'we'? Five seconds ago you were just an 'I'._

_Oh, shut the hell up, would you? The point is, I do it, I get paid for it, and I like it._

_Why?_

_Why what?_

_...Moron...Why do you LIKE it?_

_Because I can freely write what I wish to. My thoughts and so on. And its kind of fun. Its the whole 'insanity' part of it. I make a living drawing a story line on people who talk to themselves, eerily much like I'm doing now._

_Oh, don't even get me _started_ on your way of thinking. You're a _**hypocrite**_. Your comics and art targets one specific group of people. A particular age group, with a particular mindset. And I'm sorry to say that some of the very people with the skull buckle boots and the white make up on bad skin read your work in an effort to be just another of the people you are sickened and hold a certain animosity, even though you swear you don't, towards. My dear Jhonen, I'm afraid you've started...Dare I say it?...A FAD! AHHH! Oh, no! You're actually...hehe...You're actually adding to the problem of the infestation of assholes! THE IRONY IS TOO GREAT! Now a bunch of people with Johnny, Squee, and Devi's haircut and your point of view are running around! They wear your MERCHENDISE thinking that they're someone, and you can't live without them because they pay for your electric, your power, your groceries. Oh, sweet Jesus. I think irony is possibly the greatest phenomenon ever to occur. But then there ARE the real ones...The ones who stumbled upon these comics themselves without some friend who told them and they decided that Johnny was 'really hawt, ohmigawsh' and ran out and bought it. And, to tell the truth, I'm AMAZED your ass hasn't been sued yet! Should just one of those comics fall into the hands of the wrong person, should those words written ever be read by the eyes of someone they shouldn't...It would be over for you. You'd be in a mental institution, or have cell-block number and a shower daddy and, depending on which state you're in, possibly get married, or maybe, if you got off easy, you'd be in debt and someone would be walking around with a new wardrobe. Do you really want to find out if what they say about dropping the soap is TRUE?_

_I put disclaimers inside the cover page._

_That doesn't mean they'll mind them! There ARE people out there who don't even READ the inside cover! They don't usually read for YOU, y'know, they read for the STORY LINE. Wake up and smell the supeonas, Jhonen._

_Shut up._

_Ok. Defense mechanism goes up. 'Shut up' will really get me to stop. You're a pathetic mess, Jhonen. Do you even remember you own mothers birthday?_

_Shut the hell up. My mother has nothing to do with this._

_Ooh. Sensitive spot. Mommy dearest beat you or something when you were young? Or the opposite - you're mommy's little boy?_

_Aren't you supposed to know the answers to those questions if you ARE me?_

_What's wrong? No answer?_

_Where's Nny?_

_Alright. Change the subject, but I suppose you'll bring this up later, anyway, when you have a rebuttle statement prepared. And I have no idea where Nny is._

_Shouldn't you know?_

_I guess. How do I get up without waking her up?_

_Why are you concerned about waking her up?_

_Because it's kind of rude, and not only that but its slightly hard to go looking for him and just to leave her here on the couch by herself. But I can't just go and drag her through the house of a thousand corpses and possibly cause irreversible damage._

_Ooooh, you're concerned about her?_

_Why not? I'm not an asshole._

_Ok...Answering a question with a question...Classic sign of guilt._

Jhonen was becoming increasingly angry. This was a game of cat and mouse now. Incessent train of thought..._YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!_

_...My, my. What a temper. Why so hostile?_

_Shut up! What about that is so hard to grasp!_

_I'll grasp your sentences and questions when you grasp mine._

_...Ugh, God. I do not have the patience for you. I really don't!_

_Ok, just answer my questions honestly, and you'll soon figure yourself out. How does that sound?_

_Like a shit plan if you ask me._

_No one asked you._

_Lest I go on and on like I do. And actually, you did ask me._

_Alright. Fair enough._

Jhonen decided that finding Johnny was a better idea than just letting him stalk around the house because there was a stranger in it. He slipped his arm out of the grip of the girl, and gently walked down the stairs. He looked around, in shadows and what not. For all he knew, Nny could be asleep in his room, though he doubted it, especially with Kaz on his property. He checked various shadows and rooms, and around corners. People who were bound by something gave him pleading, demanding eyes to free them. No one was going through real pain, anyway. They were just cartoons. Pictures.

Weren't they?

Johnny came to mind. And a section he'd done in the second comic, called 'Things That Make Noise'

**"Such amusing fiction, these stories they tell. It always comes to this. If they really had a desire to live, they would've been more aware of how easy it is to die, would've chosen their actions more wisely. In these moment, you can tell they're not regretting having hurt you. They regret doing it to your face."**

How he remembered those black and white pages, the ink and paper coming alive in his mind...The words he wrote...

**"They make so much noise. I try to wait until I'm out of the room before I start laughing."**

They seemed so vivid now...These people...Wait, since when are they 'people'? He had to keep in mind they were only cartoons...But still, they played, invading his thoughts...

**"A blur..."**

He could only see flashes of the frames he'd made of them...It was insane...All this for an attempt to find Johnny!

**"...Of sweating..."**

They zapped the back of his eyes now, like lightning...

**"...Screaming..."**

He reached for the wall as the stone flight of stairs flashed for a nano-second into focus, but all he felt was his fingernails break and scrape against the stone...

**"...Crying..."**

His face hit the steps, scraping and peeling away at least two layers of his flesh, it stung, and still those incessent frames haunted him...

**"...Human..."**

He tumbled, already feeling the foresaken pain of bruises forming on his thin body...

**"...Drama..."**

Why did he make the staircase so...Long? To increase dramatic tension. Thats right...

**"But every once in awhile, they say things that sound like words. They make me think about what I'm doing. The noises make me uncomfortable."**

This was...Unexplainable...Utterly and without a doubt the scariest thing he'd ever experienced.

**"So uncomfortable that..."**

He could almost feel the axe coming down on him with each stair he hit, the knife driving into his chest cavity, the hammer slamming down and crushing his face and knocking out teeth...

**"Sometimes..."**

The razor slicing through him...

**"I wonder..."**

The butcher knife, the blade dripping blood, shining and slicked...

**"Why I just don't get myself a pair of earplugs."**

AN: I'm aware that this is slightly short but that just seemed like a good place to end it. I guess Zim and Dib and Gaz will be in the next episode. Ttfn, ta ta for now.


	5. The Way I Feel Today

AN: Once again, my apologies to the shortness of the last chapter, this should be at least a little longer. I'm trying! I'll make Johnny less buddy buddy. Thank you for you're answer. :-D Its is greatly appreciated. I knew something was amiss but could not place exactly what.

Thanks,

The Management

* * *

_**Summer Colors:**_

**ChApTeR fIvE: The Way I Feel Today:**

And he finally hit a landing. To what floor, he had no idea. It felt like he'd just fallen five thousand feet down a steep, rocky, jagged mountain.

It was black, and he couldn't see. Or maybe he'd just been knocked out. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, back into his own dimension, but nothing was ever that good for him. Slowly, lights and colors began to reappear. He was looking into someones...Red eyes? Green face? What the hell happened?

"Shut the hell up, human worm baby. He looks fairly like the other idiot in the corner. The one who freaked out, screaming "BUT ITS FRIDAY! THE UFO'S AREN'T SUPPOSED TO COME YET! ITS THE WRONG DAY OF THE WEEK!"...Weird Earthlings."

"I don't know. YOU probably created it with your alien mind-control powers."

Jhonen knew those voices too well. Way too well. DAMN THOSE INFERNAL SIDE-PROJECTS!

"Ok, Fate...I got the message...I'll go home, and sleep if thats what you REALLY want."

Sleep. That started this whole thing. Sleep was pure evil.

"Ok then..." The short, pastey, black-haired one said, raising an eyebrow.

Jhonen opened his eyes to blurry vision. Slowly but surely, he groggily got up, rubbing his head. His glasses were still in tact, much to his amazement. The fall he took would make one think they'd be nothing but bent up frames and shattered tiny shards scattered across the floor and on various steps of the staircase. His face was a gashed-up, dusty, blood-smeared mess, and so were his arms. By the time this was over it would look like he got mugged or something of that nature.

"I'm-" Zim started, but Jhonen cut him off, hunched over, and holding his lower back, as it felt like it was on fire, and supporting himself with the other hand on his knee. He was going to be covered in those disgusting, discolored, purplish-greenish-yellowish-brown bruises for weeks.

"Invader Zim, from the planet Irk." he said in a strained, exhausted monotone, "And you're Dib. I know all about it. Don't repeat it to me. I made you. And you too, missy." he said, looking over his shoulder to where Gaz and Nny were trying to terrorize one another and rip each other to bits.

"They make a cute couple. Too bad that's illegal. Unless you're R. Kelly." he muttered, and Gaz immediately gave him the glare of death, but he waved the hand that was on his knee at her, he walked over to a rickety table and hopped on, resting for a moment.

Johnny walked over to him, stepping over Gaz completely.

"What happened to you?"

Jhonen glared out of the corner of one eye. "I fell down a very long flight of stairs...And busted my ass...As you can imagine..." he groaned, picking up a peice of chipped broken mirror that sat convienently next to him to investigate his facial wounds.

"Hey. Did you fall down the stairs?" Dib asked.

"You're an asshole." Jhonen said, glaring at the little person.

"You're the asshole who made me."

"You know that?"

"Yeah. That scary guy said so."

"And you just believe him?"

"Yeah, why not. I mean, we just kind of appeared down here. You'd kind of figure he'd at least know something."

Jhonen sighed, "I swear to God, I gave them SOME common sense..." he muttered.

"HEY." a sharp, deep, angry voice sounded from his side. He looked down.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Where are we?" she asked, her anger and irritation becoming apparent as she glared at him with one eye.

"To answer that question would be to have some stable idea of where I am," he said, "However, I'm not quite sure where the hell I am or what's going on so...Just...I don't know. Shut up." he said, his voice saturated in aggravation, irritation, and what sounded like dulled, mild anger. He nudged the small, purple haired girl away from him with his foot. After all, she did only come up to about the mid-point of his calf.

_Anger...Not only directed towards me, but at the people around you, now, too?_

_They're not people. They're cartoons. Pictures. Just like Kaz._

_I thought you liked Kaz._

_I WOULD like her if she was real._

_Are we really going to get into whether your cartoons have feelings? You created someone. Thats like being a father._

_HA! Haha! Heh...Oh..Me. A father. That is hilarious. I didn't know you had a sense of humor._

_C'mon, say it...'Nny, I am your father.' You can even add the hissy, wheezy, deep raspy voice._

_Shut up._

_More anger._

_More comments from an imbecile._

_More remarks._

_More stupidity._

_More proving me right._

_...I..._

_What?_

_I...You..._

_No comment?_

_Shut up! Why can't you just leave me alone!_

_Because you'll never make it out of this without me, just listen._

_KISS MY ASS! AAAAAAAK! What the HELL could you possibly want from me! You're just a voice in a head! When I die you'll just move on to some other poor victim. You're nothing but a bitter product of some guy out there whose mortality caught up with him. You're nothing but a ghost._

_Don't-_

_No, listen to me, you're absolutely nothing. Nothing but a mere lost, confused personality looking for a way to make other people miserable._

_No. You're absolutely nothing._

No response. Stopped talking. That was a relief.

Johnny gave him a suspicious look. Jhonen sounded hebetated. Well, that seemed to be expected, since he had just tumbled down what was quite possibly the worlds longest flight of stairs. Nny didn't care much. But he had a weird gut feeling that if this Jhonen character died, there would be a problem that affected his own life.

Wait.

When had he become so selfish?

Maybe he'd always been like that. Not caring about anyone else, believing that everyone in the world was pure venomous filth, and skipping over the good completely. He'd even killed a good when he was under the vile manipulation of the Doughboys. Said good was that man, Edgar Vargas. He'd exchanged names with him and everything, the guy was smart, and pretty decent.

"Who on God's, green, moldy planet do you think YOU'RE TALKING TO!" Gaz roared.

"Gaz, please. I'm not in the mood for this."

"Jesus Christ, you're scary." Zim said, one eye narrowing into a slit.

She just glared.

"**_ENOUGH!_**" Jhonen bellowed.

For such a thin man, he had quite the roar when he was angry.

Angry?

When did he get angry? Usually only mild irritation occured. That was his 'angry', not screaming so loud his body contorted into uncouth positions, as though he were preforming some weird tribal ritual in an effort to jumpstart some sort of explusion of some evil spirit. He realized he was on his knees.

"I can't take this. This is...This is..." he realized exactly what was going on, "This is insanity. I shouldn't be here."

"What?" Dib asked, as Nny stood, waiting for something to happen.

"I can't take this...I can't do this...I can't...I can't..." he said, his hands falling into his lap.

"What?" Johnny said with a monotone.

"I can't do th-"

"Yeah, I heard that part. Twice. What can't you do? Nothing bad has happened to you." Johnny said, leaning against the wall.

Zim, who had remained fairly quite throughout the whole thing, along with Dib and Gaz backed up considerably, feeling trapped between the two lunatics.

"Nothing BAD has happened to me! I'm stuck in a dimension that isn't mine, with characters that **I** DREW, and...And..." he started laughing, almost hysterically, "And you guy's are in the wrong show." he said, pointing to the three kids in between them.

"We noticed." Zim said. This guy was cracking up. What kind of random fact is that, in the middle of a psychotic break?

Jhonen laughed more, putting his glasses on the top of his head momentarily, and rubbed his face and the bridge of his nose. The blood was beginning to dry and clot.

"This is not my life. This isn't what I'm going through." he said, his smile fading.

"This is too great. You spend your life working on my emotions and problems when you don't even have yours figured out." Johnny said, "Now let me ask you something."

Jhonen looked at a blurry version of Johnny. "What else do I have to lose? Shoot, ask." he said, swallowing. Somehow he got the feeling this would not end well.

"Now that you're officially monolithic, now that it seems like there's some sort of vindictive anathema that has been placed upon you... Your own hopelessness and frustration has finally arisen, and all contempt you once held for anything has been shoved in your face. Now that the very facet of all the problems of your life has easily snuck up on you because you were too busy hating the world to notice anything else at all, now that you're caught in **_your_** **_own_** maelstrom of confusion instead of inflicting it on someone else," his eyes narrowed, darkly, "_How_ _does_ _it_ _feel_?" Johnny asked, almost maliciously. As though seeing Jhonen like this, a mess, were his revenge for putting him through all of it.

Jhonen didn't know quite how to respond. He didn't expect that. But could you really ever expect anything at all with Johnny the Homocidal Maniac?

"I'm going to just leave you down here, to die, with these three mutants. You're going to bleed to death, anyway. Your wounds won't clot without help on some of those gashes." Johnny said, "And is that girl still in my house? I'll drive her back to her new home."

"Her new home?" Jhonen asked in a raspy voice.

"Yeah, the bottom of the nearest river, after I cut her into peices." he said, "I hate people in my house who don't belong in my house."

"You let Devi in your house."

"So? That was Devi. I actually liked Devi. I willingly let her in. As of now, I have five people inside my house that I don't want in my house. They will DIE!" Johnny yelled, and picked up a jar and threw it at the wall behind Jhonen, "They'll die. You brought this on, I was completely fine by myself! You have no idea how annoying the presence of the lot of you is! You...Tenacious little HOLE! FOOK! **_IN MY HOUSE_**!" he yelled as loud as he could. He began to leap up the stairs. He picked up a hook, an stumbled along the dirt floor, yelling a direction to the three to stay where they were.

"What the fuck do you want!" Nny screamed.

"What do I want! I want to live! And I want you to leave Kaz alone!" he said, losing his breath as he leapt up the stairs, trying desperately to keep up with Nny.

"Too bad! What is it that you like about this girl, Jhonen? I thought you said she was just another smudge of color in an endless sea of faces!" he laughed, mockingly, but at the same time maintained a certain, bone-chilling, seriousness about him.

Johnny.

He had that look.

Jhonen had invented that look, and knew exactly what was going to happen to that girl if he didn't catch up in time. He began skipping steps. He could see scrapes in the walls, either from victims, or maybe from him trying to prevent himself from falling. Which apparently failed miserably. Like most other things he'd been trying lately.

"Johnny! You leave her alone! God dammit!" Jhonen bound up the stairs.

_Jhonen, you need to think for this._

_Aduh._

_Seriously, think. Ok? Now, again, you MADE Johnny. That would mean you know his weak points. What's going to piss him off beyond the point of words?_

_That's exactly the reason I'm going to lose this fight. I designed him to HAVE no weak points. Any weak points someone points out, well, they get ripped to strips. And he never gets caught. He was both protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist with Johnny C. VS. the Doughboys. In a twisted way, antagonist with his victims, he was doing the killing, but they brought it on themselves. Do you understand?_

_Yes, of course I understand. But I can't TELL you what to do, you're the one with the body. I would say fight him until he gives up or calms down._

_There is no calm with Johnny._

_Then kill him._

_I can't kill him!_

_Why not! He's gonna go kill that girl you love so much._

_WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO THE **LOVE** vs. **CONNECTION** BATTLE RIGHT NOW! DON'T MAKE ME SCREAM!_

_You already are!_

_SH-_

_Ok, ok. That girl, that Kaz, who had a MIND OF HER OWN! Gasp! She's sweet, pretty. She didn't mind Johnny, and he's racing up the stairs to kill her. He want's to chop her up into peices and throw her in a RIVER!_

_THATS IT! If he can see that she liked him, too, then he might not kill her!_

_EXACTLY!_

_YES! I LOVE YOU!_

_...Ahem..._

_...Um..._

_That was never said._

_No, no it wasn't._

He finally reached the landing, seconds after Johnny. He burst into the television room, and saw him standing over her sleeping form, butcher knife in one hand, drawn back, and ready to chop.

"NO!" Jhonen screamed breathlessly.

Kaz woke, and in screamed at the sight, scuttling to the farthest end of the of the couch.

"What the hell do you want from me now!" Nny screamed.

"I want you to leave her ALONE." Jhonen said, hands on his knees, catching his breath.

"So many people have said things similar to that. 'Stop!' and 'No! Please, don't!' and other such phrases. I hear them several times a day, and will probably continue to. You MADE them, you made ME! And you want me to refrain from this? This is what I'm made for! This is how I was bred, its the way I am, and if I want to butcher her I will! And after I'm done, I want you to know that _YOU_ caused her demise! You did so by making me! And her! And those three little THINGS downstairs!" he yelled.

"Ok, but before you do that, let me quote you: 'Violence; All perfectly natural in a society whose advances are limited to its technology. The basic behaivor of the modern human is hardly different from that of its primitive ancestors. The only noticeable changes are trends. Whether in a suit or in a loin cloth, people are ignorant little thorns, cutting into one another. They seem incapable of advancing beyond the violent tendencies which, at one time, were necessary for survival.'"

"Yes, and?" Johnny said, visibly beyond irritated.

"SO...You're violent. You haven't advanced. You're a waste. A waste of life. Nothing more than and effigy. You couldn't be civilized if you tried. I mean, look. She was nice to you, had no problem with you. And here you are, going to kill her for no reason." he said, heat radiating off of him, as he was quite angry, "The same went for Devi. She liked you a lot, and you tried to kill her!"

"I didn't want the rot to set in! The beauty would fade, like it always does with anything I do! I didn't want the aching disappointment that had held my soul every time I was denied something like love, or friendship!" he yelled, drawing back again to hack Kaz.

"What is wrong with you!" she yelled, and moved to get off the couch. Johnny stumbled forward and grabbed her by the face.

"Don't move!" he yelled, and threw her back on the couch, "This won't hurt a bit!"

"DON'T!" he yelled, as the knife came down on her shoulder. He ran forward and jumped on his back, bringing Johnny to the ground.

"YOU FUCKING KILLED HER! ASSHOLE!" he screamed, struggling with him to get the knife away, as he had lost the hook he picked up while running up the stairs, "I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE YOU!"

"J-Jhonen..." She whispered, clutching her shoulder that was barely hanging onto her body. He looked over his shoulder.

"You're not dead!" he said, shocked.

"No...But I will be soon." she said, "It's inevitable...Hskkk..."

Johnny stopped for a moment, and Jhonen sat, staring at her with saucer eyes.

_You feel it, Jhonen._

_Feel what?_

_Sadness._

_She's dying and there's nothing I can do. What else would I be?_

_You're sad. You can feel tears ever-so-slightly pricking the backs of your eyes. You're sad._

_And...?_

_She wasn't just a whisp in a crowd of faces._

_...No...You're...You're right. She wasn't. Isn't. Never was._

_I think it was fate. Fate caused you to fall asleep. Caused you to belong to his world. Caused you to meet this person. You'll remember this, Jhonen. You'll remember all of this._

His conscious spoke with a sound of...He couldn't put his finger on it. He sounded quiet, calm. Like he had just realized something.

_...As odd as this is going to sound, I want to remember it. Remember it all. Everything._

_And there it is._

_There what is?_

_...Say it, Jhonen._

_Say what?_

_You could've loved her, had you gotten to know her better. Had she been a real person. You could've grown from that spark, had you met her in your own dimension. You could have loved her. Just say it, Jhonen, and I'll be gone forever. That was my job. To become your voice of reason, to get you to admit you could get along with a choice few people, real or not. You could love if you **really** wanted to. If given the chance, and person, at least._

_...I..._

Jhonens eyes were glassy, and she began to speak.

"Jhonen, I want you to know...Hssk...You're one of the most decent guys I've ever..." she heezed, trying to breath deeply, "I've ever met...You too, Johnny. I like you both...Hssssk...Both...Both alot...Even if you did...Kill...Me..." she said, and tried to lean forward, and fell into Jhonens shoulder, "Give people...A chance...Ssss... Jhonen, try. Just try..."

He gently guided her wheezing form back on the couch. She looked at him, covered in blood, as more continued to pour out of the deep, deep gash in her shoulder. She finally took a last breath, letting out slowly, and her body relaxed, eyes fluttering closed, gently, and she went limp. It almost felt like her soul left her body, as cheesy as it sounded.

"...She's gone." he whispered, and stood.

_I could've loved her._

_...You're done._

_...I..._

_You don't have to say anything to me, Jhonen. I'll always be here. I just won't answer._

_...But...I could've loved her, had she been real._

_I know._

_Had she been REAL. Now, find a way to get back to your own dimension, and find someone, anyone, who is real, who you could love, who you could have a real, true, connection with._

_I-_

_Goodbye, Jhonen._

And with that, the voice was gone. He tried summoning it a few more times, but nothing. He really was gone. He felt like he'd lost something. This voice had probably saved him from himself in so many ways, be they subtle or not. He had told that voice he hated it, because...

Because...

Why?

Because it was pointing out truths?

Even more...

Because it was _right?_

Had been all along, it knew. Everything. All along.

Had he really been such an ass?

The kind he disliked so intensely?

Never letting anyone ever get close enough...And in doing so, never letting the decent ones get close, at least so much as to BECOME real to him, to make a real impact on his life, people who probably could've played and important part in his life. Had he let them.

But instead, he blew them off. All of them.

"God..." he muttered, his face falling into his hands.

Johnny didn't know what to do. Suddenly, all the rage he had felt moments before, rage that had caused him to hack her arm almost completely off...Was gone.

"Jh-"

"Don't." he said, coldly.

He ignored him, "I'm sorry."

Jhonen snorted in disbelief. "_NOW_ you're sorry?"

"...Take it with stride, I don't apologize for no reason."

"I know. I made you that way, remember?" he replied, in a monotone.

"I know."

"...Then don't make trite statements."

"What are we going to do with those three things downstairs?"

"...We? Your house, your problem." Jhonen said, and looked at the body of what was once Kaz.

"...We can bury her, if you'd like." he said.

"...Sure. Do what you will." he said, monotone still in effect.

Bury her? When did Nny start caring about what Jhonen thought? Why? Not that he was very selfish before...But...

Maybe he was.

Very selfish.

Thinking of it now, he wasn't much more than anyone he'd ever killed.

He looked back at Jhonen.

"...We'll never have all the answers to all of our why's," Jhonen said, "Every concept contradicts every other concept. Nothing is ever going to make perfect sense."

Was that a _tear_ rolling down his cheek?

Somehow, Johnny didn't think he was crying over just Kaz. It was everything at once. It had finally come into perspective, and was quite overwhelming.

"Can love be hidden, dismissed, and even mocked in public, and still be love?" Jhonen asked, almost in a whisper, his voice raspy.

Johnny opened his mouth to say something, but Jhonen cut him off.

"I've got imperfections, but how could you collect them all and shove them in my face?" he asked.

"...I..." Johnny said.

This was a first. He was at a loss for words. There was nothing he could do to console him.

Jhonen walked into Johnnys bedroom, and flopped back on the mattress.

"Jhonen?"

"I'm going to sleep. I need rest."

"I thought you didn't sleep. If you're anything like me, then you hate sleep."

"I'm NOTHING like you." he said, harshly.

"...Sleep, though?"

"I think I need some. I'm not going to make a habit out of it." he said, "See you around."

Somehow, he didn't think he'd be seeing Johnny anytime soon. He crossed his arms over his chest. When did he get the chills? Goosebumps, all over his arms. It didn't matter. Swallowing, he blinked, his reddish eyes closed. For the first time in a long, long time, he'd go to sleep, completely of his own accoord. He somehow felt sleeping was the way to go.

"...Late summer evenings, I painted a scene," he choked, raspily, "Of the mountains afar, and the color of screams..." he whispered almost inaudiably.

His eyes slowly fluttered closed.

* * *

AN: I think that there might be one more chapter, two would be pushing it. I love the English language... 


	6. Summer Colors And Screams

AN: ...Laaaaast chaaaaapter...What am I gonna do with my life now! Start another story, of course! I don't know exactly when, but it will be soon. I'm so happy I'm actually finishing this! I'm pretty sure I might have a good idea to finish **_You're Always A Slave To Something_**, so yeah. Reveiw that and help me out there. Enjoy, my friends. Read on. I thank you all for the ideas, encouragement, and help. Thank you so much. You helped me actually to finish a story for the first time in a long time.

Thanks,

The Management

* * *

_**Summer Colors:**_

**ChApTeR sIx: Of Late, I Revel:**

Darkness turned to gray, gray to light gray, and light gray to a blurry fuzz. Jhonen woke, slowly, not sure he really wanted to wake. Usual confusion upon waking. The way he felt every time.

And then a wave of memories crashed into him, like a bad hangover. Which, incidently, was how he felt, since he had a massive, pounding, headache. He adjusted his glasses, able to see better. Looking around, it was early morning, maybe 6:30 or so. His forehead was slicked in cool sweat, probably from some kind of troubled dream or something.

Looking around, he realized where he was. In his own room, in his own bed.

_Where...? What happened?_ He silently questioned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Something beeped. He looked to the direction of the sound.

It was his answering machine. It said there were 14 messages. Fourteen! Where the hell could he have been that he wouldn't hear the phone ring! _FOURTEEN TIMES?_

_Where the hell...Oh. As if I really had to ask. Was it all a dream? Couldn't it have been..._

He was still wearing his dark blue shirt. He struggled to sit up, and upon accomplishing the act, a burning pain shot through his body. What the hell could that be? He looked down to find a small gash in his arm. His shirt was torn, and dirty, speckles of blood everywhere. He suddenly felt dizzy, the room whirling.

It had to be a dream...

He stood, wobbily, and stumbled over to a mirror. Doing this could determine whether he was insane ot not. His head hung, in pain, and his eyes were lowered. Reluctantly, and slowly, he looked up, and into it, and feared finding proof that the night before was no dream. Oh, God...It couldn't be...That couldn't possibly have happened to him. But sure enough, there was mud encircling the rim of the glass to his glasses. His face had so many gashes, scrapes and scratches it wasn't funny. Parts of his body he didn't even know existed ached, and his head hurt quite a lot. He assumed it was the fall. Tylonel would help, maybe. His fingernails were chipped and jagged.

A flash of stone stairs moving rapidly towards the his face invaded his thoughts. He remembered reaching out to grab something, his fingers scraping the stone of the wall in the stairwell.

It was no dream. He looked like he had been mugged. He had to shower and change.

Oh, God, Kaz...

He remembered her. And everything he had figured out at Nny's. That was all way too real. The bruises proved everything. So it did all happen. Everything he had figured out about himself, the voice in his head, the girl he'd asked the time of, the one he _could have_ grown to love, the realness of everyone Johnny had ever killed, and would ever kill. All real. In that dimension, anyway. It was ignorant to think it would otherwise be. It was only a different dimension. They were real people. Just in a different world, that consisted of its own realness.

The phone rang, and he walked over to it, wearily, and answered.

"H...Hello?"

"Jhonen?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"...Me."

Me? Who would answer with _me_?

"I'm sorry, I know no one named 'Me', if you'd like to state your birth name, then maybe we can work something out." he said, thoroughly annoyed. He was in no mood to talk to ANYONE.

"You need to work on your social skills, but at least you admitted that you could've loved her."

"...Who the hell is this?" he asked, suspiciously. Who could POSSIBLY know about anything of that like?

"I'm the voice of reason, here." the other line said, chuckling. It worked though, his memory had been efficiently jogged.

"...I thought...I thought you said you'd never talk to me again." Jhonen said, sounding like a little kid whose best friend was mad at them. He sat on his bed, in shock.

"I'm not supposed to, but I just had to check up on you. You understand now. It took me all that, and you FINALLY understand. You're one of the most persistent people I've ever met. You're smart, but you look too closely at things. Way more observant than anyone I've ever worked on."

"Who are you? Better yet, _what_ are you?"

"Think of me as your guardian angel, Jhonen."

"I thought tha-"

"I know what you thought, and everything God has ever created is perfect. Everything that humanity has nothing to do with is perfect. Nature is a perfect example of this. Tides roll in, tides roll out. People die, and babies are born. The Earth rotates, the sun shines, the clouds rain. Everything people have nothing to do with is perfect. People aren't perfect. And no, God is not lazy. He can't intervene with much, though. Thats the reason there's a heaven and a hell. Hell is the total and complete seperation from God. Complete abscence of Him. You weren't too far off of what the requirements for hell are, though. God is perfect. Everyone has some imperfections, but God will never collect them all and throw them in your face. That's why he's God."

"I..."

"Again, Jhonen, you don't have to say anything to me. Later today, go to the mall. Look for the brown haired girl, with the big brown eyes in a yellow tank-top, and bluejeans. She's beautiful. You'll notice her. She sticks out. Well, she will to you, anyway. Talk to her. She's your real-life Kaz. Prove to me that you don't need me anymore." the voice said, "Take someone with you if you want, but I _will_ be back if you don't talk to her." And then the line went dead.

He sighed, pushing the talk button and placing the phone back in its cradle.

"Guess I'm going to the mall later." he whispered to himself, and slowly walked into the bathroom to shower.

He turned on the water, and let it run, taking his glasses off, his earring out and stuggled to pull off his shirt. It kept hitting scrapes and bruises, and was proving to be quite painful, and quite a task. There were line-shaped bruises, where he'd hit the edge of the stone steps. Damn, he'd taken a fall. He undressed the rest of the way, in a fog. Not really thinking about what he was doing. His hair was tusseled, a mess. He stepped into the shower stall, and stood, letting the water run over his body, and just wash away the blood, sweat, dust, and dirt. He washed his hair, then his body, rinsed, and got out, wrapping a towel around his waist.

Getting dressed, he couldn't help but think about what that...'voice' had told him. A girl who would stick out in a crowd only to _him_? That was weird.

_Somebody up there's trying to tell me something..._

He pulled on boxers, jeans, a tight black undershirt and a black, short-sleeved, collared, button-up shirt over that. His face looked shredded. He got a cleaning kit out of his draw, and sat at his desk and cleaned his glasses.

_Somewhere, someone's god is laughing at me...I just know it. I wonder what's going on here. If that all was real. It had to be real, I mean, look at my face! I look like I walked through South Central with a sign on my back that said 'SCREW YOU!' God... This might end up being hard to explain to Rob...Not only that, but I got the weirdest phone call in the world from the voice in my head, and it sounded like I flipped to the Christian Channel and forgot to turn off the TV._

Upon that thought, the phone rang. Wearily, rolling his eyes, he got up, putting his glasses on and walked over to the phone. He hadn't even listened to his messages.

Sighing, he answered, "Hello?" He made no attempt to hide the 'I-Don't-Want-To-Talk-To-You' attitude.

"Jhonen? Where the hell have you been!" Rob's voice sounded on the other line.

_Speak of the devil..._

"In hell. I have enough frequent flyer miles now, so I can bring a friend next time. Wanna go?"

"This isn't funny! Have you listened to your messages yet! _Nickelodeon_ wants to do more Invader Zim episodes. I told the suit they sent over that I would check you into a mental help facility if you said yes."

"Indeed. As I've said before, I would have to shoot myself in the head many, many times to achieve the level of brain damage it would take to get me to say yes again. It was hell."

"Thought so. I've been calling you all night. Where the hell were you?" he asked, his voice shifting tones.

"Literally, in hell."

"Seriously, Jhonen."

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Then I'm coming over." Rob said, and with that the phone went dead.

"NO! No, no, no!" Jhonen yelled, whacking the phone on the desk a few times, before he buried his face in his arm, and fell to his knees.

"What the hell is wrong with you people!" he screamed, whirling to his feet and throwing the phone against the opposite wall.

_What the hell is wrong with him? It's not like him to care so much...Actually, this could turn out to be ok, I guess. I mean, now I have someone to drag alongside me into the vile establishment society calls 'the mall'. If I'm suffering, so's he._

He ran back into the bathroom to at least try to clean up his cuts, scrapes, and bruises to the best of his abilites. No way could he hide all of these. He looked into the box of band-aids. None. Great. Not even the obscenely small white mock-stitch ones!

_This is getting better and better. ARE YOU TRYING TO SEND ME INTO AN INSANITY INDUCED COMA!_ He thought, angrily, and glared at the ceiling. His face was a scraped mess. B-E-A-utiful.

_AGAIN with that infernal 'Bruce Almighty'! AAAAGH!_

An incessent knocking on the door sounded. It felt as though the sound waves were playing basketball with his head. He jogged to the door, unlocked and opened it. He knew it was Rob, but if he didn't open the door, the knocking would continue...And continue...And continue...

"Come in, come in." he said. Rob entered, looking at Jhonen's face with shock.

"What the _FUCK_ happened to you?" he exclaimed, eyes wide.

"A lot."

"I can see! Did you go walking through South Central with a sign on your back that said 'SCREW YOU' or something!"

Jhonen snickered. He knew it. "I fell down a long, long flight of stairs." he said, walking to his medicine cabinet to get Tylonel.

"Stairs? What flight of stairs could someone fall down to make them look like they got mugged!" he said, "The stairway to Heaven!"

"No, no. Nothing of that like. More like I got in a car accident on the highway to hell." he said.

"Ok...Enough play on song titles." Rob said, "What really happened?"

"I can't tell you," he said, laughing in Rob's direction, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine now."

_That could be the most convincing lie I've ever told. Maybe I don't need a prosthetic head and its automated smile feature._

"...God..." Rob said, his facial expressions changing into the most serious Jhonen had ever seen them.

"What?" Jhonen raised an eyebrow in question.

"W...Were you raped or something?"

Jhonen scoffed, which turned into a snort-like thing, and then into outright laughter, his face red, and buried in his arms as he hunched over and gasped for air.

"N...No...I wasn't _raped_, you imbecile." he said, "I wasn't jumped, or mugged, or roughed up, or anything like that. I blacked out and fell down some stone stairs."

"Are you su-"

"Don't say that again, please. My sides hurt now." he said, "No one would ever come near me, much less rape me." he said, finishing his sentence by taking a deep breath and replenishing the lost breath.

"Alright." Rob said, abjuring, as he was not thoroughly satisfied. He knew his friend was lying about his whereabouts. But _why_ was what he didn't know.

"You're coming with me to the mall in a few minutes, by the way." he said.

"...The mall? I thought you didn't like crowds. Or people, for that matter."

"Don't ask. I've...Got sort of an errand to run. I guess that's what it could be called." he said, looking down thoughtfully.

"O...K..." he said, "How hard did you hit your head again, Jhonen?"

"Don't worry about it." he said.

"You're just going to go out, looking like a fresh mugging?"

"Why not."

"...Ok, whatever squirts your banana juices."

"My banana juices?" Jhonen asked, his face contorting into confusion.

"And her donut hole." Rob said, laughing.

Jhonen then understood. He was mocking him and others for making stupid euphomisms for sex late one night during the Roadkill Tour and keeping Rob awake.

"You're bad," he said, "And I hate you."

"Ok. Let's go." he said.

And with that, they ventured off to the nest of rats...I mean mall.

Sure enough, there was a beautiful girl in a yellow tanktop sitting alone at a table reading a book in the food court.

"That's her." Jhonen mumbled. No one else seemed to notice her, but to him, vibes radiated off of her. He noticed her among the endless smears of color that were the faces of the machine-people in the mall.

_Here goes nothing..._ He thought, and walked over and sat across from her.

She looked up.

"The Fly?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" she asked him, sipping her soda.

"Good book."

"I know. This is the sixth time I've read it and I still can't put it down." She smiled at him.

Jhonen smiled, "My name is Jhonen."

"I'm Alice."

"Pretty. I can't help but think of _Resident Evil_." he said, a comment at which she laughed faintly herself.

Rob watched from a few feet away. This was insane. First, he get's beat up, then he want's to go to the mall without any prodding, then he's HITTING on a girl! It was like he went to sleep and woke up someone completely different. Maybe for the better. She would've simply gone unnoticed on a regular day. He decided to walk over there to him.

"Who's your friend, Jhonen?" Rob asked, the concern beaming through out of his eyes and zapping hole through the other man's head.

"A girl I met. Her name is Alice Leben." he said.

"I never got your last name." said Alice.

"Vasquez." he said.

"Are you the same man who made _Johnny The Homocidal Maniac_?" she asked.

He didn't know quite how to answer that. He did MAKE Johnny, created a world that had given him the very wounds Rob had been so concerned about. He came to a conclusion.

"Yes. I made Johnny." he said.

"Oh, cool. I like that comic. It's interesting."

"Thank you."

"Jhonen, what's your major malfunction?" Rob said through gritted teeth.

"Of late, I revel." Jhonen replied, simply.

"Revel? Revel in what?"

"Miss Leben," Jhonen said, standing, "May I take you to a movie this beautiful afternoon?" he asked, extending his hand and abandoning Rob."

"I'd love to." she said, marking her page as she closed the book, and took his hand.

"Wait! _Jhonen! _Revel in **_what_**!" Rob called to his back.

"Completion," Jhonen said, over his shoulder as he and Alice talked all the way to the mini-movie-theatre on the first floor, "Completion."

* * *

AN: Well! How did I end it? I thought it looked pretty good. I don't like the thought of a one Mr. Rob being completely abandoned, but it wouldn't work if he went with them.

So...That's the end. First ending I've made to a story in a long time. I'm trying to find a way to continue _**You're Always A Slave To Something** _without sounding completely random. Anway, as always, review. Give me a topic to make a new Johnny story on. And, again, thank you for all of your support and motivation.

Thanks,

The Management


	7. Corrections

I guess one would call this an author's note. I'd like to call it a corrections page, as I am more than half way across the world at this present moment, and as far away from my desk and computer and beatiful keyboard as I can possibly be. (Try being from New York, and looking like a typical New Yorker with an accent to match. Purple hair, blink 182 shirt, capree's and sandals. The works. I, currently, am in the ever-so-placid state of Maine. Lebanon, to be precise. For someone used to the hustle and bustle of Maybrooke(aka _May-Brooklyn_), Walden and the attitude of those of the Bronx and Yonkers, I sort of stick out. Did I mention there's almost no tax here! AH! I walked into a Hannafords' up here and got my little cousin a set of toy handcuffs with which he would later play cops and robbers with. It was $4.99, so I got out a five and two singals, expecting tax up the ass, and the girl goes '4.99, please.' I swear to God I did a double-take. Aye, aye, aye. I wanna go home.) Therefore I am completely thrilled at access to a working computer. Ok... Re-reading it, I found more than a few mistakes than can be ignored. Mistakes that make me toss and turn and unable to sleep at night. So I swore that the second I had a cooperative computer at my fingertips, I would fix it.

However, I can't fix it. But, I can tell you what was supposed to be. So here we go.

Chapter One: While Mr. Vasquez is falling asleep, and his mind screams at him to get up, after up, there are supposed to be three exclamation marks.

Chapter Two: First of all, anything that sounds like it might be a thought in this chapter is supposed to be italicized. And there are supposed to be quotation marks around stopped in the rant at the bottom. These, like the exclamation marks are the doings of the evil little uploading system the site has so kindly bestowed upon the authors. Argh.

Chapter Six: The book a one Ms. Alice is reading is Lord of the Flies, not The Fly. My fault. I was stuck in 'The Fly' mode because I had watched it earlier in the day. To my knowledge, there isn't a The Fly book. I suppose though, if one were to get technical with it, that it is a book. All movies are in writing first. So those are my big corrections for Summer Colors. Take it easy. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, and will reveiw my stuff in the future.

-The Management


End file.
